RANJIT SINGH SPEHIA*, SHAILESH KUMAR SINGH, MEERA DEVI, NIRMLA CHAUHAN, SUKHPREET SINGH, DEEPAK SHARMA AND JAGJEET CHAND SHARMA
Department of Soil Science and Water Management, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry,
Nauni, Solan-173 230 (H. P.), India
*(e-mail : rsspehia.33044@gmail.com; Mobile : 9805330236)
(Received : February 8, 2019; Accepted : April 10, 2019)
ABSTRACT
Irrigation water requirement of a crop is an important parameter for its growth and development and its precise application based on the media being used may help in decreasing its wastage. Based on this, present investigations were conducted to determine the optimum irrigation water requirement of tomato for soilless cultivation under protected conditions. The treatment combination cocopeat+vermicompost media (70 : 30 w/w) with irrigation at 50% ETc (crop evapotranspiration) on daily basis recorded 30.00, 14.00, 44.00, 76.00 and 78.00% increase in number of fruits per plant, TSS, titratable acidity, vitamin C content and fruit yield, respectively, compared to the treatment comprising cocopeat media alone with irrigation on daily basis at 100% ETc. Water use efficiency was also maximum (1.36 kg/cm) in this treatment. The water use efficiency was minimum (0.38 kg/cm) in the treatment containing only cocopeat as growing media with irrigation on daily basis at 100% ETc. It was concluded from the present studies that tomato plants grown under cocopeat along with vermicompost as growing media use water more efficiently as compared to cocopeat alone and this treatment combination can be recommended for tomato production under soilless cultivation in Himachal Pradesh.
Key words : Irrigation frequency, irrigation water requirement, protected cultivation, soilless media, water use efficiency